Employ
RecruitGusto In-Depth Review
Gusto Review Summary
Score 7.5 out of 10
Currency
100+
Monthly fees
$40+ per month
Payment options
ACH/WIFT/All major debit and credit carrds
Gusto offers user-friendly payroll and HR software suitable for all businesses, but, in my view, best suited to SMEs and startups.
Here I draw on my personal experience as an HR professional using Gusto and deploying it with clients, to analyze its best features and pros and cons.
Gusto Company Overview
Gusto, previously known as ZenPayroll, was launched in 2012. It was founded by three members who had difficult experiences managing HR, payroll, and benefits at various companies. It offers an all-in-one solution for small and medium businesses to manage payroll and benefits. One of the most prominent features of Gusto is that it simplifies and automates a lot of repetitive but essential HR tasks.
Gusto offers multiple subscription options for employers, with pricing based on which features the customers choose: There is a Simple, Plus, and Premium option.
All of the plans include payroll and compliance support in addition to other features specific to the plan, but the Simple plan offers those for one state only. Gusto also offers an option to customize the Simple and Plus plans with additional add-ons so you only pay for the features you actually need and use instead of the whole package.
Additionally, Gusto also has a plan that is for contractors only which is very helpful for businesses to reduce software costs if they only work with contractors and do not hire any US W2 employees.
Gusto Key Features
1. Gusto Payroll Processing
Gusto excels at simplifying payroll management, ensuring businesses can handle employee payments accurately and on time. Key features include:
- Automated Payroll: Gusto automates the entire payroll process, including calculating taxes, deductions, and net pay. It supports salaried, hourly, and contract workers.
- Tax Filing and Compliance: Gusto files federal, state, and local payroll taxes automatically, ensuring compliance with current regulations. Businesses can also access end-of-year forms like W-2s and 1099s.
- Flexible Payment Options: Employers can pay their staff via direct deposit, check, or Gusto’s unique Gusto Wallet app, which allows employees to manage their earnings flexibly.
- Multistate Payroll: Businesses operating in multiple states can manage payroll seamlessly, with Gusto handling location-specific tax requirements.
- International Payroll: Through its collaboration with the international Employer of Record Remote.com, Gusto is able to support payroll in 100+ countries around the world, through a service known as ‘Gusto Global’.
2. Gusto Employee Benefits Management
Gusto provides a variety of tools to help businesses attract and retain top talent by offering competitive employee benefits. These include:
- Health Insurance: Gusto partners with major insurance providers to offer health, dental, and vision plans. Employers can easily manage enrollments and updates directly from the platform.
- 401(k) Retirement Plans: The platform integrates with retirement plan providers, allowing employees to save for their future while enabling businesses to remain competitive.
- Commuter Benefits: Gusto supports pre-tax commuter benefits, giving employees cost-effective transit options while reducing taxable income.
- Customizable Benefits Packages: Employers can tailor benefits to suit their team’s unique needs, from wellness stipends to life and disability insurance.
3. Gusto Human Resources Tools and Compliance
Beyond payroll and benefits, Gusto offers a suite of HR tools designed to streamline processes and ensure compliance with labor laws. These features include:
- Onboarding and Document Management: Gusto simplifies employee onboarding by allowing new hires to complete tax forms, direct deposit setup, and benefits enrollment online.
- Time Tracking and PTO Management: Employees can track hours, log overtime, and request time off directly within the platform. Managers can approve PTO requests and ensure accurate payroll integration.
- Compliance Alerts: Gusto keeps businesses informed about labor law changes and compliance deadlines, reducing the risk of penalties.
- Employee Handbook Builder: The platform helps businesses create and update employee handbooks, ensuring policies align with legal standards and company culture.
4. Gusto Platform and Integrations
Gusto’s user-friendly design and integrations make it accessible for businesses of all sizes, even those without dedicated HR teams.
- Dashboard Simplicity: The platform’s dashboard provides a clear overview of payroll deadlines, benefits enrollments, and HR tasks, enabling efficient management.
- Mobile Accessibility: Employers and employees can access Gusto on the go, using its mobile-friendly interface to manage payroll, benefits, and HR documents.
- Integration with Other Tools: Gusto integrates seamlessly with popular software like QuickBooks, Xero, and Slack, allowing businesses to unify their operations.
- Dedicated Support: Gusto provides excellent customer service, including live chat, email, and phone support to assist with any challenges.
Gusto Pricing
| Plan | Price per employee/contractor per month |
|---|---|
| Gusto Simple Plan | $40 per person per month + $6 per person per month |
| Gusto Plus Plan | $80 per person per month + $12 per person per month |
| Gusto Premium Plan | $180 per person per month + $22 per person per month |
REMOTE PEOPLE FURTHER READING
Gusto’s pricing can vary depending on your needs—explore our detailed breakdown to see exactly what you get at each tier.
Gusto User Reviews
Gusto receives mixed feedback from users on review sites, though overall, the feedback trends positive:
- Gusto Capterra = 4.6/5 (4003 reviews)
- Gusto G2 = 4.5/5 (2.243 reviews)
- Trustpilot = 2.5/5 (2097 reviews)
Gusto Pros and Cons
- Pros
Multi-State Compliance
If you have employees in a single or multiple states, you need to take care of many compliance and reporting requirements. Gusto can handle registering with the state tax departments, filing new hire reports, issuing W-2s, etc. Additionally, when a state notice arrives, I can easily upload it to Gusto’s tax help center, and their team of compliance and tax specialists will review it and get back to me with a resolution.
Friendly User Interface
A lot of HR systems have complex dashboards and a hard-to-navigate payroll system, but Gusto’s user interface is simple and intuitive. The interface is even friendly for first-time Gusto users. When I started using Gusto, I noticed that all the main features were clearly visible on the left side of the screen, so I had no trouble finding what I needed quickly. And the home screen’s dashboard showed me all of my action items at-a glance.
Global Contractor Payroll
Gusto offers the option to hire contractors globally. Gusto is one of the platforms that actually makes it very easy to pay contractors, they’re currently offering payments to 120+ countries. I have used Gusto to hire and pay contractors in South Asia and haven’t had any complaints so far.
Auto-pilot Payroll
I use Gusto for many of my customers based in and outside the US. Some of them have employees, either hourly or salaried, who are to be paid the same every payroll. This is where Gusto’s autopilot payroll feature comes in handy. You can select to turn on the autopilot feature, and Gusto will automatically run your payroll one day before the due date if the default hours are set for your team. This feature is not available for US contractors.
Multiple Integrations
One of Gusto’s most helpful features is that it offers integrations with hundreds of different platforms. For example, for conducting background checks, I don’t have to use a separate platform but can integrate a vendor like Checkr and order background checks directly from Gusto. Gusto also offers integrations with tools for accounting, IT, time tracking, benefits, performance management, etc.
Promotions
Running regular promotions helps make Gusto easier to afford and among the top choices of small and medium businesses. For example, currently, they are offering 25% off for 3 months on both the Plus and Premium plans.
Quick Chat Support & Callbacks
Sometimes there are issues that I think need more time to explain and resolve than just having a live chat or sending an email to Gusto. In these cases, I request a callback from their help center and expect to receive a call back within the next couple of hours. For simpler issues, I always use chat support and they’re very quick and helpful there too.
- Cons
You Have To Buy Payroll
Unlike many of Gusto’s competitors, Gusto requires you to buy their payroll module before you can use any of the other features.
Longer Resolution Time For Tax Notices
Some of the state notices that we receive can take two-plus weeks to get even an initial response back from Gusto.
Unsuitable for Large Businesses
While Gusto is a very suitable and cost-effective solution for small to medium businesses, when a business scales and turns into a large organization with more employees, the cost of sustaining Gusto becomes very high. When that happens, it makes sense for employers to switch to another HR and payroll solution. I recommend Gusto for my customers who have fewer than 50 employees.
Limited Reporting
I run a lot of reports for my customers related to employee census, benefits, payroll, etc. The needs of small and medium businesses are very easy to cater to with Gusto’s reporting feature, but for more complex reporting and analysis, it may not be the best tool. For example, Gusto can provide basic time-tracking reports for employees, but if we need to pull reports where the time is divided by job functions or complex overtime rules, that will be difficult.
Remote People Score for Gusto
7.5/10
Our expert score for Gusto
Our team came to this score by considering the following components in the following weightings:
Payroll features
25%
Benefits admin features
10%
HR features
10%
Compliance features
10%
Platform features
10%
Pricing
20%
User reviews
15%
For each component, Gusto received the following score:
Payroll features
20/25
Benefits admin features
8/10
HR features
8/10
Compliance features
7/10
Platform features
9/10
Pricing
15/20
User reviews
8/15
Gusto in 2025 — New Service Offerings
Gusto has made key strides in 2025 toward full-service support and platform flexibility. In March, they officially launched Gusto Compliance in California and New York at no extra cost, with plans to expand coverage in additional states. This feature includes automatic compliance updates, particularly around pay schedules and tax filings.
Their June “feature focus” updates added invoicing, in-app payroll functionality (including off-cycle runs, alerts, permissions), and time tracking for salaried employees, marking significant strides toward a unified mobile payroll and HR experience
My Verdict on Gusto
Gusto is one of the leading payroll platforms in the US for payroll and benefit management. And now with Gusto Global, it can be used to pay employees virtually anywhere in the world. However, it is let down by how expensive it is when used at scale, as well as some concerning customer reviews.
Gusto Alternatives
Deel
Deel is a leading HR and Employer of Record platform that can hire and pay employees in virtually any country around the world.
💡 Read our breakdown of the differences between Deel and Gusto: Deel vs Gusto
Rippling
Rippling is a leading US payments platform with an extensive range of integrations and optional services.
💡 Read our breakdown of the differences between Rippling and Gusto: Rippling vs Gusto
ADP
ADP is the longest established global payroll provider, offering a range of payroll and HR solutions in the US and internationally.
💡 Read our breakdown of the differences between ADP and Gusto: ADP vs Gusto
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